What is Jazz?

Now that we have discussed, debated, disected, ad naseum
lets discover:

Today's playlist

El Jazz Cubano:
various artists including heavyweights like Irakere, Chucho Valdes and Rubalcaba. Very enjoyable straight-ahead jazz. Great piano work.
1993

Jive at Five
Clark Terry & Red Mitchell
Mitchell is a very underrated bass player
1990

Plays Ellington
McCoy Tyner
Includes latin percussionist. 'Caravan' is a standout
1964

The Best of Brailian Jazz
Various Artist (most of whom should desire anonymity)
YAWN. sets world jazz back a few centuries. Only good as a soundtrack for a TV travel show.

as always IMO. :)
Peace

"We don't need no stinkin Wikipedia", they're going all the way back to slaves dancing in Congo square in New Orleans; our jazz doesn't go back that far.

The only reason "our" jazz doesn't go back that far is because there was nothing to record it on back then. If there had been, someone would still be listening to it and calling it jazz.

Charles1dad, of course you are correct. But, I would bet you my Manley mono's (and I'll throw in my Columbia Six-Eye "Kind Of Blue") that if you were to poll 100 jazz musicians and ask them who they would pick (if they had to) as THE greatest jazz musician, and the one who best embodied the essence of jazz as they understand it, that the overwhelming majority would pick Louis Armstrong. Regards.

few samples of good jazz........
yes, its from Poland - is this jazz too?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe4M6pKEKMQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bM5TwR7L0U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kE1zGXaQNg&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL99F28FC6EA5BE83D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-5q_pI7EJ4&feature=fvwrel

and Japanese jazz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEd5OvNyPs8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w9WsLW6xLc&feature=related

Hi Frogman,
It`s hard to say, in my experince with most jazz musicians I happen to know most of them cite Charlie Parker. A moot point really as they`re both and others are so worthy. Like I said I love and truly respect them all.
Regards,